Abstract
AbstractWhen discussing the postdoctoral period in a researcher’s life, a lack of career progression often boils down to “is it you, or is it me?” Is it a reduction in the quality of candidates, or the fact that there are now too many candidates for a rapidly shrinking pool of jobs? Australia provides an ideal case study, as a large and decentralized country with a government mandate to build the STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) workforce. The goal of the present study was 1) to provide a baseline for postdoctoral experiences and career aspirations in Australia, and 2) to identify gaps in postdoctoral training. When undertaking a capacity building programme it is important to know where efforts should be focused. To better understand the demographic and career progression of Australia’s current cohort of postdoctoral researchers, a national survey was undertaken from 2014–2015. More than 280 postdoctoral researchers from government, industry and academic institutions responded. Our results indicate that although postdoctoral researchers work more than the legal maximum of a 38-hour a week (on average) and have a long-term plan to stay in research, there is significant concern over the long-term viability of research careers due to job insecurity and a shortage of funding.
Highlights
The role of the postdoctoral researcher (PDR) was traditionally a training period, bridging the divide between newly emerged PhD graduates and a permanent or tenured role in research
The rising age of chief investigators has extended the duration of this formative training period, which has caused a seismic shift in career advancement for research scientists
The Australian Postdoctoral Reference Survey is a biennial initiative from the Early- and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Forum designed to provide an overview of the environment for early- and mid-career researchers
Summary
The role of the postdoctoral researcher (PDR) was traditionally a training period, bridging the divide between newly emerged PhD graduates and a permanent or tenured role in research. The postdoctoral period should be a functional, fluid, and formative period in a researcher’s career (Su, 2013; Drotar et al, 2015). Previous work has demonstrated that outputs during the postdoctoral period can be affected by environmental factors (Felisberti and Sear, 2014), as well as by gender (Borrego et al, 2009). The number and duration of postdoctoral appointments varied by discipline: a decade post-PhD, biochemists represented the largest proportion of untenured faculty out of six mathematics-based disciplines (Nerad, 1999). The rising age of chief investigators has extended the duration of this formative training period, which has caused a seismic shift in career advancement for research scientists. Opportunities for career progression and advancement have not kept pace with changing economic realities and priorities
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